Translated by Catherine Proppe, September 14, 2016
40. Δήμητρος Ἐλευσινίας, θυμίαμα στύρακα.
To Demeter of Eleusis
Divine medium: styrax
Δηώ, παμμήτειρα θεά, πολυώνυμε δαῖμον,
Deo, Divine Mother of All, many-named divine power,
σεμνὴ Δήμητερ, κουροτρόφε, ὀλβιοδῶτι,
Honored Demeter, child-nurturer who bestows whole-life blessings,
πλουτοδότειρα θεά, σταχυοτρόφε, παντοδότειρα,
Wealth-giving Goddess, grainstalk-nurturer, bestowing all
εἰρήνηι χαίρουσα καὶ ἐργασίαις πολυμόχθοις,
Of the blessings of Peace, as well as work’s many hardships.
σπερμεία, σωρῖτι, ἀλωαία, χλοόκαρπε,
Seeds heap high on the threshing floor and tender green fruits
ἣ ναίεις ἁγνοῖσιν Ἐλευσῖνος γυάλοισιν,
Here cover pure Eleusinos’ valley.
ἱμερόεσσ', ἐρατή, θνητῶν θρέπτειρα προπάντων,
Loving lovely Lady who provides sustenance to mortals before all else,
ἡ πρώτη ζεύξασα βοῶν ἀροτῆρα τένοντα
Here first to yoke oxen to the plough’s neck
καὶ βίον ἱμερόεντα βροτοῖς πολύολβον ἀνεῖσα,
And to lovingly bestow a life for humanity of plentiful blessings for all eternity.
αὐξιθαλής, Βρομίοιο συνέστιος, ἀγλαότιμος,
Give rise to the blooms of Bromios’ shared hearth gloriously honored,
λαμπαδόεσσ', ἁγνή, δρεπάνοις χαίρουσα θερείοις·
Pure Torchbearer, as we harvest summer’s blessings,
σὺ χθονία, σὺ δὲ φαινομένη, σὺ δε πᾶσι προσηνής·
Thou Mother Earth, thou light, thou of all kindness,
εὔτεκνε, παιδοφίλη, σεμνή, κουροτρόφε κούρα,
Creator, lover of children, revered son-nurturing daughter.
ἅρμα δρακοντείοισιν ὑποζεύξασα χαλινοῖς
Your chariot, drawn by dragons beneath the yoke’s bridle,
ἐγκυκλίοις δίναις περὶ σὸν θρόνον εὐάζουσα,
Encircles, whirls round thy throne to give rise to life.
μουνογενής, πολύτεκνε θεά, πολυπότνια θνητοῖς,
Single parent of many children, Goddess most honored by mortals,
ἧς πολλαὶ μορφαί, πολυάνθεμοι, ἱεροθαλεῖς.
Here in many forms, with a multitude of flowers’ holy blooms.
ἐλθέ, μάκαιρ', ἁγνή, καρποῖς βρίθουσα θερείοις,
Bring the blessed, pure fruits heavy with summer,
εἰρήνην κατάγουσα καὶ εὐνομίην ἐρατεινὴν
Bring Eirene of peace and lovely Eunomia of good laws
καὶ πλοῦτον πολύολβον, ὁμοῦ δ' ὑγίειαν ἄνασσαν.
And Plouton’s plentiful blessings, close by with Hygieia, Queen of health.
NOTES
Demeter (Δημήτηρ, Δαμάτηρ, Δημήτρα) is the immortal Goddess who directs earth’s generation and agriculture, literally “directing (Δ) + central (ή) + Mother (μητρος).” Deo (Δηώ) is another name for Demeter, literally “directing (Δ) + center (η) + brings-forth (ώ).” The Lexicon equates de (δῆ) with Ge (γῆ), earth.
Eleusis (Ἐλευσίς) is an ancient city near Athens on the fertile Rarian Plain famous for the Mysteries of Demeter and her daughter, Kore (Κόρη, Κόρα, Κώρα, Κούρη, Κόρϝα), also known as P(h)ersephone. Eleusis literally means “set free, liberate: “essence (ε) + loosen, release (λευσ).”
The ancient Mother Goddess is frequently depicted in art and literature as driving a “chariot drawn by lions.” This is consistent with the constellation Virgo which first appears in Spring and disappears in Fall directly following Leo, the lion. The star Spica in Virgo is Latin for “ear of grain.” Ancient Greeks referred to the constellation Virgo as “Κούρη.[1]” The appearance of Virgo/Κούρη in the sky coincides with the sprouting, growth, and harvest of grain and other plants. In this hymn, Demeter’s chariot is said to be drawn by dragons. The constellations Draco and Hydra appear on either side of Virgo, Draco to the north and Hydra to the south.
Stach- (σταχ-) is a prefix that means “stalk” of corn or grain. “Corn” as it pertains to Eleusis is a generic word for grain. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “corn” as a “small hard seed,” i.e. peppercorn or barleycorn, “the grain of a cereal grass that is the primary crop of a region.” In this sense, “corn” also means wheat, oats, rye, and rice. Corn is likely so-named because the Greek spelling of Kore (κόρη) looks like “korn.” Kore, the daughter of Demeter, is the Goddess of the renewal of life in Spring and the growth of agricultural crops. In this sense, the seeds of grain (or of any plant) are the daughters of Demeter, the Mother Goddess who controls whether or not plants grow.
Plouto (Πλούτων) is the immortal God of wealth and the afterlife.
The Charites (Χάριτες) are the immortal Goddesses of grace, as in divine gifts that are received without regard to the recipients’ worthiness or merit. Examples of the Charites are the beauty of nature, the warmth of the sun, the coolness of a refreshing spring, the smile of a friend, any and all pleasures that life bestows, any and all reasons to celebrate the blessings of life that we receive freely and without merit.
Bromios (Βρόμιος) is a Theban name for Bacchos, the immortal God of wine and its effects.[2]
“The title Bromios … never occurs in Homer, nor in Sophocles. Pindar and Aeschylus both use it, Euripides often. The poets, by their usage, clearly show that they connect the title with the verb [Bremo] βρέμω, which means ‘to make a confused sound.’… Sometimes the association is definitely with thunder…In the Bacchae … Dionysos is in some degree a [G]od of thunder as well as thunder-born … Julian [in an epigram] propounds…that the title Bromios points to a [G]od born not of lightning and thunder but of an intoxicant made from the cereal [bromos] βρόμος. Bromios is Demetrios, son of Demeter the Corn-Mother, before he becomes [G]od of the grape and son by adoption of Olympian Zeus.”[3]
Note that bromos (βρόμος) means oats, wild oats. It also means any loud noise, literally: “base (β) + flow (ρ) + entity (ό) + divine-medium (μ) +ος.”
Paidophile (παιδοφίλη) means “lover of children,” in the modern vernacular it is a despicable euphemism for “child molester.”
Eirene (Εἰρήνη) is the immortal Goddess of peace.
Eunomia (Εὐνομία) is the immortal Goddess of just laws.
Hygieia (Ὑγίεια) is the immortal Goddess of health.
Anassa (ἄνασσα) means Queen, Lady.
[1] Dorotheus Astrologus 78, Nonnos Dionysiaca 2.655 K.
[2] Jane Ellen Harrions, “Bromios,” Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion, p. 412.
[3] Harrison, Prolegomena, 413-416.
40. Δήμητρος Ἐλευσινίας, θυμίαμα στύρακα.
To Demeter of Eleusis
Divine medium: styrax
Δηώ, παμμήτειρα θεά, πολυώνυμε δαῖμον,
Deo, Divine Mother of All, many-named divine power,
σεμνὴ Δήμητερ, κουροτρόφε, ὀλβιοδῶτι,
Honored Demeter, child-nurturer who bestows whole-life blessings,
πλουτοδότειρα θεά, σταχυοτρόφε, παντοδότειρα,
Wealth-giving Goddess, grainstalk-nurturer, bestowing all
εἰρήνηι χαίρουσα καὶ ἐργασίαις πολυμόχθοις,
Of the blessings of Peace, as well as work’s many hardships.
σπερμεία, σωρῖτι, ἀλωαία, χλοόκαρπε,
Seeds heap high on the threshing floor and tender green fruits
ἣ ναίεις ἁγνοῖσιν Ἐλευσῖνος γυάλοισιν,
Here cover pure Eleusinos’ valley.
ἱμερόεσσ', ἐρατή, θνητῶν θρέπτειρα προπάντων,
Loving lovely Lady who provides sustenance to mortals before all else,
ἡ πρώτη ζεύξασα βοῶν ἀροτῆρα τένοντα
Here first to yoke oxen to the plough’s neck
καὶ βίον ἱμερόεντα βροτοῖς πολύολβον ἀνεῖσα,
And to lovingly bestow a life for humanity of plentiful blessings for all eternity.
αὐξιθαλής, Βρομίοιο συνέστιος, ἀγλαότιμος,
Give rise to the blooms of Bromios’ shared hearth gloriously honored,
λαμπαδόεσσ', ἁγνή, δρεπάνοις χαίρουσα θερείοις·
Pure Torchbearer, as we harvest summer’s blessings,
σὺ χθονία, σὺ δὲ φαινομένη, σὺ δε πᾶσι προσηνής·
Thou Mother Earth, thou light, thou of all kindness,
εὔτεκνε, παιδοφίλη, σεμνή, κουροτρόφε κούρα,
Creator, lover of children, revered son-nurturing daughter.
ἅρμα δρακοντείοισιν ὑποζεύξασα χαλινοῖς
Your chariot, drawn by dragons beneath the yoke’s bridle,
ἐγκυκλίοις δίναις περὶ σὸν θρόνον εὐάζουσα,
Encircles, whirls round thy throne to give rise to life.
μουνογενής, πολύτεκνε θεά, πολυπότνια θνητοῖς,
Single parent of many children, Goddess most honored by mortals,
ἧς πολλαὶ μορφαί, πολυάνθεμοι, ἱεροθαλεῖς.
Here in many forms, with a multitude of flowers’ holy blooms.
ἐλθέ, μάκαιρ', ἁγνή, καρποῖς βρίθουσα θερείοις,
Bring the blessed, pure fruits heavy with summer,
εἰρήνην κατάγουσα καὶ εὐνομίην ἐρατεινὴν
Bring Eirene of peace and lovely Eunomia of good laws
καὶ πλοῦτον πολύολβον, ὁμοῦ δ' ὑγίειαν ἄνασσαν.
And Plouton’s plentiful blessings, close by with Hygieia, Queen of health.
NOTES
Demeter (Δημήτηρ, Δαμάτηρ, Δημήτρα) is the immortal Goddess who directs earth’s generation and agriculture, literally “directing (Δ) + central (ή) + Mother (μητρος).” Deo (Δηώ) is another name for Demeter, literally “directing (Δ) + center (η) + brings-forth (ώ).” The Lexicon equates de (δῆ) with Ge (γῆ), earth.
Eleusis (Ἐλευσίς) is an ancient city near Athens on the fertile Rarian Plain famous for the Mysteries of Demeter and her daughter, Kore (Κόρη, Κόρα, Κώρα, Κούρη, Κόρϝα), also known as P(h)ersephone. Eleusis literally means “set free, liberate: “essence (ε) + loosen, release (λευσ).”
The ancient Mother Goddess is frequently depicted in art and literature as driving a “chariot drawn by lions.” This is consistent with the constellation Virgo which first appears in Spring and disappears in Fall directly following Leo, the lion. The star Spica in Virgo is Latin for “ear of grain.” Ancient Greeks referred to the constellation Virgo as “Κούρη.[1]” The appearance of Virgo/Κούρη in the sky coincides with the sprouting, growth, and harvest of grain and other plants. In this hymn, Demeter’s chariot is said to be drawn by dragons. The constellations Draco and Hydra appear on either side of Virgo, Draco to the north and Hydra to the south.
Stach- (σταχ-) is a prefix that means “stalk” of corn or grain. “Corn” as it pertains to Eleusis is a generic word for grain. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “corn” as a “small hard seed,” i.e. peppercorn or barleycorn, “the grain of a cereal grass that is the primary crop of a region.” In this sense, “corn” also means wheat, oats, rye, and rice. Corn is likely so-named because the Greek spelling of Kore (κόρη) looks like “korn.” Kore, the daughter of Demeter, is the Goddess of the renewal of life in Spring and the growth of agricultural crops. In this sense, the seeds of grain (or of any plant) are the daughters of Demeter, the Mother Goddess who controls whether or not plants grow.
Plouto (Πλούτων) is the immortal God of wealth and the afterlife.
The Charites (Χάριτες) are the immortal Goddesses of grace, as in divine gifts that are received without regard to the recipients’ worthiness or merit. Examples of the Charites are the beauty of nature, the warmth of the sun, the coolness of a refreshing spring, the smile of a friend, any and all pleasures that life bestows, any and all reasons to celebrate the blessings of life that we receive freely and without merit.
Bromios (Βρόμιος) is a Theban name for Bacchos, the immortal God of wine and its effects.[2]
“The title Bromios … never occurs in Homer, nor in Sophocles. Pindar and Aeschylus both use it, Euripides often. The poets, by their usage, clearly show that they connect the title with the verb [Bremo] βρέμω, which means ‘to make a confused sound.’… Sometimes the association is definitely with thunder…In the Bacchae … Dionysos is in some degree a [G]od of thunder as well as thunder-born … Julian [in an epigram] propounds…that the title Bromios points to a [G]od born not of lightning and thunder but of an intoxicant made from the cereal [bromos] βρόμος. Bromios is Demetrios, son of Demeter the Corn-Mother, before he becomes [G]od of the grape and son by adoption of Olympian Zeus.”[3]
Note that bromos (βρόμος) means oats, wild oats. It also means any loud noise, literally: “base (β) + flow (ρ) + entity (ό) + divine-medium (μ) +ος.”
Paidophile (παιδοφίλη) means “lover of children,” in the modern vernacular it is a despicable euphemism for “child molester.”
Eirene (Εἰρήνη) is the immortal Goddess of peace.
Eunomia (Εὐνομία) is the immortal Goddess of just laws.
Hygieia (Ὑγίεια) is the immortal Goddess of health.
Anassa (ἄνασσα) means Queen, Lady.
[1] Dorotheus Astrologus 78, Nonnos Dionysiaca 2.655 K.
[2] Jane Ellen Harrions, “Bromios,” Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion, p. 412.
[3] Harrison, Prolegomena, 413-416.
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